Two Proposals
by PinkElephant5
Summary: "Almost before Elizabeth had time to wonder why Charles was in Hope Valley again, or why he was standing in her schoolhouse, he wasn't standing anymore. He was kneeling." A season two continuation that picks up directly after the cliffhanger. Because I couldn't just leave it lying there. Jack/Elizabeth, Charles, Abigail.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello, Hearties! I have two stories that need finishing in a completely different fandom (Forever), so of course this charming little show—and that ridiculous season 2 cliffhanger—had to get under my skin. This is my attempt to purge the brainworm so I can get back to those WIPs. Though I get the feeling I'll be back in Hope Valley soon enough…**

 **Here's my take on how the story continues directly after the cliffhanger.** **The music references are because I realized that when I listen to the show without watching, it is indistinguishable from a (very gentle) soap opera. But hey, I like opera. :)**

* * *

TWO PROPOSALS: A SHORT OPERA FOR THREE VOICES AND TOWN CHORUS

Part One: Trio for Two Voices

This was not what Elizabeth had expected to do after class today. Almost before she had time to wonder why Charles was in Hope Valley again, or why he was standing in her schoolhouse, he wasn't standing anymore. He was kneeling.

"Oh my." That was all she could think to say.

"Elizabeth, will you marry me?"

"Oh my," she repeated, until at last her brain began to catch up to what was happening. "Charles, I am so honored that you're asking—"

"It's you who would honor me by accepting," he cut in, still on one knee, still holding out a small box that held a not-so-small diamond ring. His expression was completely sincere, and so hopeful it made Elizabeth's heart ache for her old friend.

She ached because she truly did love him, but as he knelt before her now, she knew for certain that she loved him like a brother. Nothing more. With Charles, there were none of the butterflies she felt in her stomach every time she looked at Jack. There was none of the clarity she had felt ever since that stormy afternoon in the mine, when she and Jack had finally gotten to the heart of their fears. That was the day he had told her he loved her, and the first time in her life she had told a man she loved him back.

Jack had faith that together they could overcome their fears and differences, and she was starting to believe it too, because she trusted him. She loved him. It truly was a remarkable feeling; if only she could make Charles understand that now.

"Charles, I'm truly honored," she started again, "but I can't accept."

"Of course you can," he insisted. "Besides making me the happiest man on earth, you'll be fulfilling your family's wishes as well. I know how much you love them, and they only want you to be happy. I can make you happy, Elizabeth. I can give you the life you deserve."

She smiled, although the expression was strained. "You are one of my favorite people, and I'm certain you will make someone very happy someday. But Charles, that person can't be me. My heart already belongs to someone else."

"Jack." It was a statement, not a question.

Elizabeth nodded. "I'm sorry to hurt you, but I'm in love with Jack."

Charles blinked in surprise at how plainly she had stated her feelings. Elizabeth was a little surprised herself; that was the first time she had said those words out loud to anyone but Jack himself. Bold declarations like that were more typical of her sister, Julie, but in this case, it felt right for her.

Charles recovered quickly. He had obviously been preparing for a response like this, though perhaps not so strongly expressed, and he rose to face her at eye level. "I'm sure Jack has very fine qualities, and I'm grateful for everything he's done to keep you safe while you've been out here, but the life of a Mountie's wife, away from society, away from all your family and friends? Is that really what you want?"

"I'll admit it's not what I pictured for myself when I was younger," Elizabeth conceded. "I certainly didn't take this position intending to fall in love with a Mountie. Jack would be the first to tell you that he had no intention of falling in love at all, much less with a pampered city girl who can't cook or ride a horse, but sometimes life surprises you."

Charles wasn't ready to give up. "I know he's an honorable man, but his first loyalty is to his uniform, not you. What happens when he's reassigned to an even more remote post? What happens when you're expecting a child, and not one member of your family can reach you to help? Not to mention decent doctors!"

"Charles, he hasn't even proposed yet," Elizabeth said, flustered by this frank discussion of her future.

He caught her use of the word 'yet.' "But you think he will, don't you? And you already know what your answer will be." Her silence was all the confirmation he needed. "Elizabeth, I beg you to reconsider. I don't doubt Jack's feelings for you, or his good intentions. I only doubt his ability to make you happy in the long run." He leaned in to deliver the final stroke. "I understand that you came west looking for something, adventure maybe, but once you get it out of your system, you'll want to come home. Don't give your family the grief of seeing you wake up one morning to realize you're trapped with a husband who isn't worthy of you."

With that statement, Elizabeth's resolve snapped into place. She stood her ground, arms crossed in front of her. "Jack Thornton is more worthy than any man I have ever known. Unlike you or my family, he respects me enough to let me make my own decisions about who I am and what I want! You may not believe me, but this life I'm living isn't some youthful adventure, or an attempt to prove myself. Hope Valley is my calling; this is where I belong. Jack is where I belong."

Charles stepped back at this rebuttal, and something behind his eyes shuttered closed in defeat. "In that case, I hope you'll be happy here." His words were gracious, but his tone suggested a world of doubt. He closed the box in his hand and hid it away in his jacket pocket. "I only pray that Jack knows how lucky he is."

Elizabeth smiled. "We both do." She knew Charles was a man accustomed to getting his way, and only their lifetime of friendship was allowing him to back down now. She respected him for it.

"In that case, I suppose there's not much more to say—besides this: if you change your mind for any reason, your father and I are only a telegram away." He shifted uncomfortably, unconsciously brushing the school room dirt off the knee of his immaculately pressed trousers. He obviously wanted to be far away as soon as possible, but good breeding won out. "May I walk you back to town, or wherever you were headed before my unwelcome arrival?"

"Charles," she began to chide him for his self-deprecating remark, but she suddenly remembered that she _did_ have plans for after school. Jack had asked her to— "Oh no." She rushed to the door with a sinking feeling in her stomach. Sure enough, she saw Jack's retreating form growing ever smaller on the path from the school back to town. "JACK!" she yelled, but he either couldn't hear her or chose not to respond. He had come to pick her up for their afternoon ride and found…Charles. Probably on one knee. Had he even stayed to hear her response?

"I'm sorry, Charles, but I have to go," she called over her shoulder, and with that she rushed down the stairs toward Jack's ever-shrinking figure.

Charles Kensington stood for a moment in the silence of the empty classroom. He had known Elizabeth Thatcher all her life, and he had never once seen her chase after a man—certainly not literally, and down a dirty country lane. She really was a lost cause.

If memory served, there was an afternoon stagecoach arriving within the hour. He intended to be on it.

* * *

Part Two: Duet for a Man and His Doubts

As Jack strode down the lane back toward town, he couldn't believe his luck. More specifically, his dumb luck. After everything he and Elizabeth had been through in the last year, after all the challenges and misunderstandings and troubled siblings, they were finally in a good place. She knew how he felt, and she returned his feelings. He thought they were ready to move forward together, and he had the ring in his pocket to prove it.

A ring that, despite his best intentions, was _still_ in his pocket right now, burning a hole through his best suit in the shape of his own dumb luck. It was a little hard to propose to the woman you love when you find another man's knee shining the floor in front of her instead.

And not just any man. Her oldest, closest friend. The man her family adored, the son her father never had. A man who, unlike himself, was not so far below her family on the social ladder that he could barely make out the soles of their polished shoes. The man who represented everything her family wanted for her, and nothing Jack could offer.

That man.

He tried to remind himself that against all odds, he, Jack, was the one Elizabeth loved. She had said so, and he believed her. They were alike in that way, both too sensible and reserved to declare love for anyone without feeling it truly, deeply, and undeniably. He trusted her. He did.

He had concealed his presence at the schoolhouse because he didn't want to make a scene. Yes, that was it. He trusted her to give Charles a polite but firm no, and he didn't want to embarrass her by complicating things. Now that he thought on it, the polite part was optional.

Of course, he may have trusted her, but that didn't kill his curiosity as to how exactly she would deliver that no. That's the only reason he'd stayed hidden behind the door for longer than was strictly polite (again, with another man trying to steal the love of his life, polite was not currently a priority).

He'd stayed long enough to hear Elizabeth tell Charles she was in love with him, Jack—he would admit, that was nice to hear again. He had also felt a little thrill when she'd implied that his proposal would be accepted; too bad he had heard it through another man while he himself had been lurking behind closed doors like a criminal.

Jack gave an irritated grimace and quickened his pace down the lane. The lurking wasn't even the worst part. The worst part was that not only had Charles Kensington stolen his moment, he had raised some valid questions. Elizabeth's biggest fear had always been for his safety in his duties as a Mountie; it had never occurred to him that his duties might threaten _her_ safety as well. After all, it seemed like outlaws were constantly drawing guns on her or holding her captive, and more recently mine tunnels had started collapsing around her, without any help from him. He was very aware of her skill at finding trouble wherever she went, and he took a certain pride in the part he'd played in keeping her safe so far in spite of that particular natural talent of hers. But the idea that being married to him would put her in more danger? Somehow that hadn't crossed his mind.

Now, however, he couldn't get it out of his mind. The dreamlike vision of her by his side as they faced new challenges together was now marred by the thought of her lonely and afraid, laboring to deliver a child while he was on assignment and far from home. It was almost too painful to consider, but like a sore tooth he couldn't leave it alone. He knew of too many mothers lost in difficult labor to pretend it wasn't a real danger, and as much as starting a family with Elizabeth would be a dream come true, he couldn't guarantee he would be there for her when she needed him most. Not as long as he was a Mountie. All the same, he knew his calling as well as she knew hers, and he wasn't meant for a desk job—not with her father or anyone else. So where did that leave them?

He was almost back to town by now. He couldn't bear the thought of explaining to everyone he passed why he was wearing his Sunday best on a Tuesday afternoon, not with that small box and its contents beating a reminder against his leg with every step. Instead, he avoided Main Street and headed straight for the stables from the back way. He tried—and failed—not to think about Elizabeth, and how she was supposed to be with him on this ride, and he headed off at a bruising pace to a place where he could be alone with his thoughts.

* * *

 _Second half coming soon...feedback welcome!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Part Three: Intermezzo (the space between)**

Elizabeth did not run back to town, but she came close. Jack was too far ahead for her to catch up unless he stopped, and he didn't. He didn't even turn around. She soon gave up calling after him; she didn't think he could even hear her. Jack had excellent hearing, but from the way he was striding, shoulders hunched and head down, he looked completely lost in his own head. At the moment, Elizabeth didn't think he would hear the stagecoach coming if it ran right over him.

She lost sight of him as he passed behind a row of buildings, and after a few minutes he reappeared, mounted and riding at a gallop, still heading away from her.

Well. This simply wouldn't do.

She quickened her pace until she arrived at the stables herself and began saddling a horse she was familiar with. It was her first time performing the task solo, but Jack had taught her well. When Abigail seemed to appear out of nowhere, Elizabeth gave a little start of surprise. Apparently Jack wasn't the only one lost in thought and not hearing their name called.

"Elizabeth, what happened? I just saw Jack ride out of town like the devil was at his heels."

Elizabeth checked the cinch on her saddle one last time and gave her friend an exasperated sigh as she fit her foot into the stirrup and threw her other leg over. "It's a long story. I'll tell you all about it later, but right now I have to catch Jack."

Abigail nodded and stepped out of the way. Something had shifted between Jack and Elizabeth ever since they had limped out of that mine shaft the week before. She could see it on their faces; in fact, the whole town could see it. She had even heard the lumberjacks in her café mention a betting pool over at the saloon. Men and women alike were laying odds on when Jack would propose, and none of the guesses were more than a month out.

Whatever had happened just now to send Jack running, she knew better than to interfere if her friend meant to give chase. Abigail considered chasing a vast improvement over misunderstanding and suffering in silence like they used to do. She pointed in the general direction he had taken. "He headed west. Do you know where he was going?"

Elizabeth nodded and turned her horse in the same direction with the careful, intentional movements of a new rider. "I think so. Well, wish me luck."

"With the horse or the man?"

Elizabeth gave a little chuckle. "Both. But the man has more reason to be spooked at the moment." With that, she tapped her heels and urged her horse into a walk, then a trot, and then a canter. Abigail heard a squeak of either alarm or exhilaration drift back on the breeze as the horse at last broke into a gallop, its mistress clinging on with grim determination as they chased Jack's trail into the afternoon sun.

* * *

Jack heard Elizabeth approaching long before he saw her. He tensed momentarily at the sound of a horse galloping straight for him, but then he heard the beast quickly slow and the sound of its rider cajoling and encouraging it to go "just a little further before you throw me off—please?" Despite the unrest in his mind and heart, Jack couldn't help but grin. As much as she claimed to know that you can't hold a two-way conversation with a horse, his Elizabeth kept trying.

His Elizabeth. He couldn't help it; that's what she was to him. Come what may, he knew that's what she would always be.

He knew without turning around that she had spotted him. He hadn't really been hiding from her, anyway. If he had, he wouldn't have galloped straight for the place where he had first told her she was the only one for him. If he wanted to hide, he wouldn't have come to the hill where they'd shared their first kiss, and where he saw her every time he closed his eyes. Maybe he had craved the reassurance of those friendly ghosts as he processed what he heard in the schoolhouse, but he wasn't really hiding.

As it was, the ghost Elizabeth was fading fast in the presence of the flesh and blood woman who had just dismounted nearby. Jack turned to face her. He tried to convince himself that this would _not_ be the defining moment of his life, but he'd never been much good at lying.

* * *

 **Part Four: Recitative for Mountie and Teacher**

Elizabeth walked toward him, reins in hand. She couldn't help thinking of Rip hiding in the mine shaft, scared by the thunder and waiting to be found. She had never once thought of Jack as afraid before, but in a flash of insight she realized that's what this was about. Not jealousy, not irritation or anger—fear. For her. Any fear or irritation she felt herself at having to chase after him evaporated (well, mostly), and she tied her mount near his and came to stand next to him. Side by side, they both looked out over the landscape stretched out beyond the hill.

"I thought we were going riding together," she began, her voice calm and even.

Jack continued to face the slowly setting sun. "Well, I did stop by the school, but you looked a little busy."

"Jack." She turned to face him and reached out to take his hands, and he let her. "I'm so sorry you had to see that; it must have been upsetting. I sent Charles away. I told him how I feel about you; how we feel about each other."

"Yeah, I heard that loud and clear. You stood up for us; I was proud of you. But he was pretty clear too." He finally met her eyes, and her intuition had been right. She didn't see anger there. Instead, he looked a little haunted.

She lifted one hand to gently stroke the side of his face, as if she could soothe away the unease. "Jack, what is it?"

"He was right about one thing, Elizabeth." He squeezed her other hand tightly before releasing it and half-turning away again. "I can't control where I'll be stationed, not forever. If we…if we pursue a life together, you could easily end up all alone in some wild place, maybe even…the way he described. Or hurting some other way." He wasn't willing to speak words like "married" and "pregnant" out loud, not with the ring still burning in his pocket and the question unasked. It felt like tempting fate.

She took hold of his shoulder and gently forced him to turn back toward her. "So what if you are reassigned? When I came to Coal Valley, I didn't know a soul. In that theoretical future world, I would have you. We'd have each other. There's no one I would rather face the world with." He took a breath to respond, but she braced her hands against his chest to halt his protest. "And don't say you might not be there for me. I know you, Jack. You'll move heaven and earth to be there when I need you."

He looked at her for a long moment and let the truth of it all settle in. As unlikely as it was, he _had_ been issued a partner for this grand adventure after all, though not by the Mounties. If she was able to accept the reality of danger in his life, surely he could do the same for her. Of course, that wouldn't stop him from heading it off whenever he could.

He smiled a little and placed his hands on hers where they rested over his heart. "That I will do. And if heaven and earth won't budge, I'll find a bigger crowbar."

Elizabeth breathed a quiet sigh of relief to see her Jack acting like his old self again. She smiled back at him. "The question now is, are we willing to trust in our future together?"

"That is the question, isn't it?" Jack grinned and lifted one hand to wrap it gently around the place where her neck met the back of her head. He still didn't like the idea of yet another danger cluttering her already trouble-prone path, but it was time to accept that that was entirely out of his hands. "Any idea what the answer might be? Theoretically, of course."

She grinned back. "Yes, I have an idea. Theoretically."

Neither of them could say who leaned in first, but the next moment their arms were wrapped around each other and they were kissing, all fear and hesitation banished for the time being. In the back of his mind, Jack noted that this was their fourth real kiss, and each one had been better than the last. He also suspected that he would stop counting them soon. He and Elizabeth were both good with figures, but he felt a renewed hope that before long, the number would stretch beyond their ability to count.

* * *

 **Part Five: Chorus for Two Hearts, One Town, and a Sky Full of Stars**

They got back to town as the sun was getting low. Main Street was filled with lumberjacks and millworkers coming off their shifts and heading to the saloon, or heading to Abigail's Café for more substantial fare. Women were running last-minute errands before dinner or heading to Abigail's as well, and children were squeezing in one more game of stickball or jacks before their parents called them home.

Jack and Elizabeth dismounted at the stable and brushed down their horses for the night, then began walking slowly through town, arm-in-arm. The ride back had passed in a comfortable silence, though that hadn't stopped them from gazing and grinning sideways at each other like lovesick fools. Jack was glad there had been no witnesses to that. He had never made a secret of his intentions toward Elizabeth, but he still had his manly pride to consider.

They headed for Abigail's by unspoken agreement. Halfway there, Jack broke their silence.

"I have to admit, I'm a little disappointed in your powers of observation today."

She gave him a curious look. "What do you mean?"

"You haven't asked me why I'm wearing my good suit for a ride in the country."

He was right. In all the commotion, it hadn't occurred to her. Now that he had pointed it out, she was suddenly, inexplicably nervous. She managed to keep her voice mostly even when she gamely asked, "Jack, why are you wearing a suit?"

"It was all part of the plan. Rip helped me choose it."

Elizabeth's brow wrinkled in equal parts confusion and amusement. "Your dog helped you get dressed?"

Jack nodded earnestly. "He was very helpful with the jacket. Sorry to say, you and I saw the backside of that plan a few hours ago. Now I'm just improvising."

"Well, I'm sure you'll rise to the occasion, with or without Rip's help."

Jack drew them both to a sudden halt in the the middle of the street just outside the café, forcing several people to swerve to avoid them. "I'm not sure I will."

She frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"

He shook his head thoughtfully. "Nope, I don't think I will rise. In fact, I think I'll get a little lower." As he spoke the words, he sank to one knee in front of her, right there in the dirt and mud, right there in the street.

"Jack! What are you doing?" she exclaimed, though she knew perfectly well what he was doing, and she glanced around self-consciously. The scene had not gone unnoticed. Already a growing crowd was circling around them at a discreet distance (though well within earshot).

"I'm improvising." He reached into his pocket and drew out a small box, not so different from the one Charles had produced a few hours before, and yet nothing about this moment felt the same. Still, for the second time that day, Elizabeth Thatcher was about to receive an offer of marriage.

Jack opened the box and lifted out a very simple, very lovely ring. True, the stone was nowhere near the size and brilliance of the one Charles had offered. When Elizabeth looked at this ring, though, and at the fingers that held it, she thought of Hope Valley's new schoolhouse. She thought of the prize money Jack had given to help build it, and the hours he'd spent using those very fingers to make sure the building would be ready for her return. That's what she saw. Big or small, it was a lovely, perfect ring. She realized she couldn't even remember what Charles's ring had looked like.

He began to speak again, and the murmuring crowd hushed to listen. "I once told you that if the Mounties wanted me to have a wife, they would have issued me one." Quiet chuckling could be heard from the circle of witnesses, but as far as Jack was concerned, only one listener mattered. "It's still true that a wife is not standard issue, but now I think I know why. This life can be unpredictable, and challenging, and dangerous at times, whether you're a Mountie, a miner, or a school teacher. There's nothing standard issue about the kind of partner who will rise to meet the challenge with you. And there's nothing standard or ordinary about you. Elizabeth Thatcher, you are the bravest, smartest, most headstrong, beautiful woman I have ever met, and I love you more every day. Will you marry me?"

Not a single citizen of Hope Valley breathed. Instead, all eyes turned to the school teacher they had grown to accept, even to love as one of their own, and they waited for her answer. It wasn't long in coming.

"Jack Thornton, you are impossible." She smiled. "Impossibly brave, and honorable, and kind. I didn't like you much at first—" A doubtful snort rose from somewhere in the crowd, and she looked up briefly in defense. "I didn't! But now, I can't imagine life without you. I would be honored to be your wife."

The town's collective exhale quickly shaped into a cheer, and for the first time they saw their constable and teacher kiss, very thoroughly and enthusiastically, in public. A few wagging tongues commented to each other that the two must certainly have been practicing a great deal beforehand to kiss like that now. A few others slipped quietly over to the saloon to collect their winnings from the pool, vaguely promising to buy them a nice wedding present as a thank you. Most folks gathered in closer to congratulate the happy couple. The biggest hugs by far came from Abigail, who had watched it all unfold from the door of her café with happy tears in her eyes. She announced an impromptu celebration at the saloon with as much pie and cookies as she could manage on short notice.

* * *

Between the handshakes, back slaps, hugs, well wishes, ring admiring, and questions about their (nonexistent) wedding plans, Jack and Elizabeth didn't get the chance to eat much pie. They also didn't get a moment alone until hours later, when Jack grabbed his new fiancé's hand and pulled her out the back door.

Jack had chosen his moment well; in the din of celebration, no one noticed them leave. At least, if anyone did notice, they had mercy on the couple and let them steal a moment alone. Elizabeth followed his lead out the door, laughing without reserve. She couldn't remember ever being this happy before. They let the back door swing closed, and the noise inside the saloon quickly faded as they stepped into the now-deserted street. The sun had fully set while they celebrated, and the stars were now shining in earnest. They took a moment to enjoy the silence around and the beauty above. The night air was chilly, and when Elizabeth began to shiver Jack stepped close behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She leaned her head back against his shoulder, looked up at the sky, and sighed. There would be time for planning and details and—God help her—telling her family later. For tonight, she was perfectly at peace.

She breathed in the unique scent of the man who held her—one more thing she loved about him—and smiled. "So what now, Constable? Do we count the stars?"

"We could." Jack turned her in his arms, still holding her close. "I'd much rather start _losing_ count of something else."

"Oh? And what might that be?"

In answer, he closed the last few inches between them and kissed her sweetly, then pulled back a hair's breadth. "Six."

A brief peck. "Seven."

Another. "Eight."

Elizabeth wrapped her arms around his neck. "Alright, I get it. Now stop counting and kiss me properly."

"At your service, ma'am." Jack was more than happy to oblige.

THE END

* * *

 _Thanks for reading! I have a few more "season 3" moments bouncing around in my head that I hope to write and post in the future, but first I have a few other stories to wrap up. See you next time!_


End file.
